How bad are ACC football tv ratings?

[Rufus]

One 2022 study looked at how potential conference realignment moves would impact conference TV ratings and it wasn’t pretty for the ACC. If Miami, FSU, and Clemson left the ACC, the conference would rank dead last amongst the power conferences and it would fall below even The American.

How could unequal revenue sharing impact Florida State and the ACC?

Unequal revenue sharing was discussed at the latest ACC meetings. How will it impact football schools like Florida State and the conference as a whole?

www.tomahawknation.com

 

[Kolumbo]

When it's a nice autumn weekend I am rarely if ever sitting in the house watching tv. Definitely not in the afternoon. Winter time? What else is there to do but look for a good college hoops game, or a good movie. Amirite?

 

[Stinger92860]

This is a good reason for DB to let the B12 know we are interested.

 

[CL82]

This is a good reason for DB to let the B12 know we are interested.

The best reason to let the big 12 know, we are interested is that it takes away the ACC perception that they are the only home for us and we will always be available.

 

[Hoophound]

I was going to say it the other day but figured I’d save myself the criticism. The ACC is a snore. Nobody seems to watch it, talk about or respect it at this point. I’m just not sure I even want to go there. It really seems like it’s going to implode. I’d love a much better Big East contract and a much better Indy football deal to help us through the next 4-5 years so things can shake out.

 

[jostar1]

I’d love a much better Big East contract and a much better Indy football deal to help us through the next 4-5 years so things can shake out.

What is going on now is good for us. Chaos is good for us. There could be an opportunity now for us. We don't want to be the one left without a chair in 4-5 years if other schools are being added now.

 

[shizzle787]

I was going to say it the other day but figured I’d save myself the criticism. The ACC is a snore. Nobody seems to watch it, talk about or respect it at this point. I’m just not sure I even want to go there. It really seems like it’s going to implode. I’d love a much better Big East contract and a much better Indy football deal to help us through the next 4-5 years so things can shake out.

Both are plausible.

 

[billybud]

Niccolo Machiavelli once said, "Make no small plans as they have no power to stir men's souls."

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Niccolo Machiavelli once said, "Make no small plans as they have no power to stir men's souls."

Interesting results for the ACC considering how Machiavellian that conference behaved by twice attempting to destroy the Big East in efforts to elevate their standing.

The bonus here is their attempt to protect their interests (long term media contract tied into long term grants of rights by all member schools) will end up being the conference's undoing.

 

[Kolumbo]

Interesting results for the ACC considering how Machiavellian that conference behaved by twice attempting to destroy the Big East in efforts to elevate their standing.

The bonus here is their attempt to protect their interests (long term media contract tied into long term grants of rights by all member schools) will end up being the conference's undoing.

I think my cousin Vinny described the ACC GOR situation best:

 

[billybud]

Very well could be...the death knell for FSU...or not.

The one item, and only one that I see, that may be the key to free FSU would be a change in the ACC-ESPN agreement...

The GOR states that each of the member institutions grants to the Conference " all rights necessary for the Conference to perform the contractual obligations of the Conference expressly set forth in the ESPN Agreement".

If those ACC-ESPN Agreement obligations are amended to not require FSU's product as necessary to meet the Conference's obligation...voila...the cell door springs open.

Why could that happen ?

1...ESPN sees that more money could be made augmenting it's SEC member of the P2...one more viewable game and a counter to the other networks' P2. So switches FSU-Clemson to it's other property.

2...The ACC is contracted to be kept whole in payment...or additionally augmented by expansion or both.

OR....

ESPN and the ACC go big and expand with a western pod.....

The Atlantic-Pacific...(Ack Pac...LOL)

 

[WestHartHusk]

FSU is valuable enough for ESPN to want to keep, but not so valuable they are going contort themselves. Buckle in for a long SAS road in Tallahassee. Should have made this noise when you were selling out and there weren’t oodles of alternatives. It just looks desperate now.

 

[Hoophound]

Niccolo Machiavelli once said, "Make no small plans as they have no power to stir men's souls."

We share an FSU connection, as I’ve told you we have a place in Tally and my wife has family there. As I’ve learned to hate the ACC for FSU, it has soured me on the ACC for UConn too. I don’t wish UConn was playing NC St instead of Providence or St John’s. It just isn’t as exciting for our fans. On the football field, NC St is great for us, but we play them anyway. You saw what you need to know about our fans if you watched our game against SJU in MSG yesterday. It’s a great atmosphere. Our fans take over MSG, the Big East tourney is the best tourney in college basketball and we just have history there.

I want to play big time football but I don’t want to be in another American conference. I’m comfortable with biding our time and winning games until FSU and Clemson figure things out. At that point, maybe we can find a long term path that preserves our programs. I’m no longer sure that the private schools in the ACC can help us at all. We are a major public with great athletics, let’s play like it and be patient.

 

[billybud]

How about the Ackpack? Pods (with FSU-Clemson gone). Three pods of six.

West....

Oregon
Washington
Oregon State
Washington St.
Cal
Colorado

North...

Boston College
Syracuse
Pitt
Virginia Tech
Virginia
Louisville

South...

Miami
Georgia Tech
Wake Forest
UNC
NC State
Duke

 

[billybud]

We share an FSU connection, as I’ve told you we have a place in Tally and my wife has family there. As I’ve learned to hate the ACC for FSU, it has soured me on the ACC for UConn too. I don’t wish UConn was playing NC St instead of Providence or St John’s. It just isn’t as exciting for our fans. On the football field, NC St is great for us, but we play them anyway. You saw what you need to know about our fans if you watched our game against SJU in MSG yesterday. It’s a great atmosphere. Our fans take over MSG, the Big East tourney is the best tourney in college basketball and we just have history there.

I want to play big time football but I don’t want to be in another American conference. I’m comfortable with biding our time and winning games until FSU and Clemson figure things out. At that point, maybe we can find a long term path that preserves our programs. I’m no longer sure that the private schools in the ACC can help us at all. We are a major public with great athletics, let’s play like it and be patient.

We are thinking about selling our home in Tallahassee....We are aging out in North Carolina and prefer it now that our son has taken a job in Tampa. We no longer go back and forth.

But we have years of memories...

 

[CL82]

Both are plausible.

What are your guesses for both?

 

[shizzle787]

What are your guesses for both?

Between 6-8 million for the Big East (which I think will be shared between FOX, CBS and possibly ESPN) and a small bump to maybe a million on an extension with CBS Sports Network (or an extension at the same price but one game per year on big CBS).

 

[CL82]

Between 6-8 million for the Big East (which I think will be shared between FOX, CBS and possibly ESPN) and a small bump to maybe a million on an extension with CBS Sports Network (or an extension at the same price but one game per year on big CBS).

That range is probably about right but 6 million would be disappointing. I would be really surprised if we got the bump up to 1 million for CBS.

 

[UConnJim]

FSU is valuable enough for ESPN to want to keep, but not so valuable they are going contort themselves. Buckle in for a long SAS road in Tallahassee. Should have made this noise when you were selling out and there weren’t oodles of alternatives. It just looks desperate now.

FSU struggles with viewers playing against ACC opponents except when they play Clemson or Miami or they are in a prime slot like on Friday night. BUT, when they play SEC teams, the ratings are great. FSU's 2 regular season games in 2022 against LSU and Florida had more viewers than the 10 other games combined.

ESPN could blow out FSU tv ratings by having them play SEC opponents instead of ACC opponents. Would it make economic sense for ESPN to allow FSU to go to the SEC?

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

FSU struggles with viewers playing against ACC opponents except when they play Clemson or Miami or they are in a prime slot like on Friday night. BUT, when they play SEC teams, the ratings are great. FSU's 2 regular season games in 2022 against LSU and Florida had more viewers than the 10 other games combined.

ESPN could blow out FSU tv ratings by having them play SEC opponents instead of ACC opponents. Would it make economic sense for ESPN to allow FSU to go to the SEC?

Any data showing how much the actual rise in viewing is when FSU plays SEC teams - obviously more people watch the SEC so one has to carve out that part of the viewership to show the synergy effect?

 

[CashewCrew]

That range is probably about right but 6 million would be disappointing. I would be really surprised if we got the bump up to 1 million for CBS.

$6M would be incredibly disappointing. I would hope they can get it to $9-10M

 

[Hoophound]

There’s a lot of buzz when FSU plays an SEC team. FSU fans don’t feel like there’s enough “big” games.

 

[UConnJim]

Any data showing how much the actual rise in viewing is when FSU plays SEC teams - obviously more people watch the SEC so one has to carve out that part of the viewership to show the synergy effect?

Except the FSU/Florida and FSU/LSU games were in the top 10 of most watched regular season games. And, do you realize that half of FSU's games were on ACCN or a RSN last year? Networks want to show games that people will watch and those are rivalries and games between brands which is why FSU is attractive.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Except the FSU/Florida and FSU/LSU games were in the top 10 of most watched regular season games. And, do you realize that half of FSU's games were on ACCN or a RSN last year? Networks want to show games that people will watch and those are rivalries and games between brands which is why FSU is attractive.

I get all that, but I'm looking for actual data-driven info not broad statements.

 

[Slasher]

The ACC and the Pac are not going to merge. Not sure why we're giving mh ver 3 any credence on his BS.

 

[Rufus]

If the B1G wants FSU, I think FSU is better off in the B1G than the SEC. With the number of B1G alumni in Florida combined with the rabid fan base of FSU, those games will be instant attractions that no other school in the southeast can offer. FSU can continue to play Florida (and Miami) as non-conference games (Miami could end up in the B1G too). FSU vs. Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, USC, etc….those will be huge tv ratings games.

The academic side of the B1G would be a net gain for FSU as well. Supposedly, FSU is on the cusp of AAU membership.

 

[Sole]

$6M would be incredibly disappointing. I would hope they can get it to $9-10M

I was thinking we were going to make more also.. but I’ve read that basketball is around 10 to 15% of a conferences total tv contract.. so if a school is making 30 million a year 20% of that would be 6 million.. I think we probably will do better then that..but how much better

 

[jostar1]

The ACC and the Pac are not going to merge. Not sure why we're giving mh ver 3 any credence on his BS.

The story was in Forbes.

"It was actually the ACC and more to the point the University of North Carolina that brought up the idea. Andrew Carter of The News & Observer, last summer reported that university leadership at North Carolina floated the idea of a “super conference” between the ACC and Pac-12

“Should we explore a partnership with the Big 12 or Pac 12[?]” UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham texted university chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz.

“We could have a super conference both athletically and academically,” Guskiewicz responded. “Probably would need to be called the Atlantic-Pacific Athletic Conference (APAC). Maybe that’s crazy, but if it would get us a better TV deal, it may be worth considering,” he continued.

“We need to think about what outcomes we want? What are our priorities? Do we want to maintain all teams in the ACC? Is this a new league? Do we want to have the same number of teams at each school? Should we play a national schedule or regional schedule?” Cunningham questioned..

There remains an open channel between the ACC and The Pac-12 about ways they can work together in the future. Merger talks are not a dream or a media hyped story there is clearly room for some serious conversations."

The Pac 12’s Leadership Needs To Ink A New Media Deal Then Start ACC Merger Talks.

Now Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff goal is to work with Amazon, ESPN, and a few potential mystery partners in the hopes of beating the Big 12 deal done with Fox and ESPN that pays about $31.7 million per school for the next six years.

www.forbes.com

 

[UConnJim]

I get all that, but I'm looking for actual data-driven info not broad statements.

OK. FSU 2022 football games TV ratings. (highlighted SEC games):

1. Duquesne @ FSU: no rating - on ACCN
2. LSU vs. FSU: 7.55 million - ABC
3. FSU @ Louisville: 2.75 million - Friday night on ESPN
4. BC @ FSU: no rating - on ACCN
5. Wake Forest @ FSU: 2.48 million - ABC
6. FSU @ NC State: no rating - on ACCN
7. Clemson @ FSU: 3.38 million - ABC
8. GT @ FSU: no rating - on ACCN
9. FSU @ Miami: 1.5 million - ABC
10. FSU @ Syracuse: no rating - on ACCN
11. Louisiana @ FSU: no rating - on RSN/ESPN+
12. Florida @ FSU: 6.7 million - ABC

Summary:

4 ACC games that were rated = 10.11 million total viewers, average = 2.53 million viewers
2 SEC games that were rated = 14.25 million total viewers, average = 7.13 million viewers

So, would ESPN like more FSU games against the SEC or the ACC?

 

[Ldandy]

When it's a nice autumn weekend I am rarely if ever sitting in the house watching tv. Definitely not in the afternoon. Winter time? What else is there to do but look for a good college hoops game, or a good movie. Amirite?

To each his own. When I'm not at my team's game I'm glued to my TV from 12 PM to 12:30 AM. I simply love college football and you only get so many weekends. My wife can go pick pumpkins with her friends.